Ejection apparatus



June 12, 1956 N. J. DROSSEL ET L 2,749,591

EJECTION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1952 INVENTORS NORMAN JDROSSEL Wa -m nwuxms ATTORNEY June 12, 1956 N. J. 55551. ETAL 2,749,591

EJECTION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1952 L E gm WM L MO N, A wa a. m TmvH/m T J w Fe m .III (I N HN l M m l N k m I||||||||\ 0. V

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United States Patent-O "ice EJECTION APPARATUS Norman .l. Drossel, Baton Rouge, La., and Earl D. Wilkins, Los Altos, Calif., assignors to Kaiser Aluminum 8; Chemical Corporation, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application January 29, 1952, Serial No. 268,740

2 Claims. (Cl. 25-.120)

This invention relates to devices for ejecting molded articles, such as bricks, from a press. More particularly, it concerns a novel method and apparatus for moving a brick or the like from the die plate of a press to the threshold thereof, wherein a pusher plate is moved in a novel manner :across the die plate and into contact with the molded brick so as to move the brick to the threshold of the die press. Novel means are also .employed for actuating the pusher plate.

In the past, it has been the custom for brick press operators to pick up the molded brick from the die plate of the press by hand and then place it on a pallet some feet distant from the press. The presses are ordinarily so constructed that the working area in front of the die box of the press becomes crowded, if more than one person is engaged in removing brick from the die press at the same time. Accordingly, when morethan one brick is being made at a time, the pressing operation is slowed considerably, if only one person can remove the bricks. Also, the necessity of a person leaning into a press die cavity to remove bricks gives rise to dangerous working conditions.

In many brick presses the charger drawer thereof is utilized to push the brick forward and away from the press proper. However, the motion of these charger drawers is severe and in turn frequently either breaks or deforms a soft brick. In the operation .of many prior art ejection devices or rams the return stroke of the device, after the ejection operation has been completed, is subject to the uncertainty of counterbalances vor springs, so that a positive ejecting and return stroke of the ram is not always possible.

The ejection device or pusher assembly of the instant invention and the novel method of ejecting bricks from the press disclosed herein overcomes the above disadvantages of the prior art. This ejection device is generally comprised of a cam connected to and adapted to coact with a pusher plate or ram by suitable'linkage means in such a manner that a positive and accurate forward and backward horizontal motion is imparted to the pusher assembly, which in turn then moves a brick from the die plate of the press to the threshold thereof in a satisfactory manner. The apparatus of the instant invention eliminates the necessity of a person leaning into the press die cavity to remove a brick, thereby adding to the safety of operation. Also, the mechanism allows production of more brick, because the bricks are ejected to a more accessible location where more than one person can be used for removing the bricks from the press at the same time, thereby speeding up the overall operation of the press. The ejection device can be satisfactcrily employed with presses which mold either one brick or :a plurality of bricks at one and the same time.

The cam member of this ejection device is so designed that during both the forward and backward motion, the pusher plate will be caused to accelerate and .decelerate at simple harmonic rates, thereby allowing the brick to be moved forward from the die plate slowly at first, then Patented June 12, 1956 rapidly and slowly again at the end of the forward moposition of rest, leaving the brick on the threshold of the press. The brick is thereby moved from the die plate to the threshold without fracture or distortion of any kind. The cam member includes a metal plate which may be conveniently attached to the crankshaft of the brick press, and this plate is provided with an endless groove in the side Wall thereof within which a roller travels. This roller is connected by a suitable linkage to the pusher plate. During rotation of the crankshaft and cam member, the travel of the roller in the endless groove of the cam plate is such that a positive forward and backward motion is imparted to the pusher plate, thereby eliminating the use 'of counterbalances or springs and the uncertainty of operation resulting therefrom. Suitable guide means for the pusher plate may also be employed.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a novel device for ejecting a molded article, such as a soft or uncured brick, from the die plate of a molding press.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method for ejecting a molded article, such as a soft or uncured brick, from the die plate of a molding press.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel brick ejection mechanism, which eliminates the necesmove bricks from the press at the same time.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel means for actuating the ejection 'device whereby the brick is moved away from the die plate of the press slowly at first, then with a gradual increase in speed until the maximum speed is reached, and then slowly again until the brick comes to a gradual stop on the threshold of the press. In this way, the brick is moved from the die plate of the press to the threshold thereof without fracture or distortion of any kind.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel pusher assembly including a pusher plate, which can be adjusted to accommodate bricks of various dimensions.

Another object of this invention is to provide means including a novel cam plate for actuating'the pusher plate of an ejection device, so that varying rates of speed can be given to the pusher plate during the operation of .it can be adjusted for 5 intervals of revolution. In

this way, the stroke timing of the pusher plate of the ejection device can be changed if the press timing is changed. This feature also allows maintenance of proper timing between the pusher plate and various other moving parts of the press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the ejection device attached to a conventional brick press (shown in dotted lines) and the mechanism for operating the same;

Figure 2 isian end elevational view of the ejection device and the actuating mechanism therefor and with parts thereof shown in section;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cam member of Figure 1 when taken along line 33 thereof; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of certain elements of the ejection device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals have been applied to like parts in the various views, it will be observed that the brick ejection device of the instant invention, which is positioned within the body of a brick press 1, is generally comprised of a. cam plate 1'. As indicated particularly in Figure 3, the cam plate 1 may be of laminated construction being provided with a front plate 3, which in turn may be said to be constructed in the form of an inner section 60 and an outer section 61 and a backing plate 4'. These inner and outer sections 60 and 61, respectively, are separated by an endless cam groove 3 within which a roller 26 is adapted to travel in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. The inner section 60 of plate 3 is secured directly to the backing plate 4' by means of suitable bolts 2. Backing plate 4 and the inner and outer sections 60 and 61 of plate 3 are provided with threaded holes 6. These holes or openings 6 in plate 4 and the inner and outer sections 60 and 61 of plate 3 are adapted to be aligned with threaded holes 5 located in a circular line in a circular plate 4. When bolts 6 are passed through aligned holes 6 in inner and outer sections 60 and 61 and plate 4 and holes 5 in circular plate 4, the several sections of plate 3 and plates 4 and 4 will all be joined together. It is also to be noted that the holes 5 located about the outer periphery of plate 4 are spaced 5 apart. The inner section 60 of plate 3 and plate 4' are provided with aligned central openings 7 of such a diameter as to permit a disc 7 to fit freely and snugly therein. After assembly, cam plate 1' and circular plate 4 may then be attached by suitable means, such as bolts 50 preferably, to the end of the brick press crankshaft 2, to which the lever 51 of the press arm 52 may also be attached when bolts 50 are inserted through aligned holes 8 in the circular plate and holes 9 in the disc 7. By mounting the cam plate 1' in this manner, it is possible to adjust the cam plate 1' in 5 intervals of rotation of the crankshaft, so that the stroke timing can be changed if the press timing is changed. Disc 7' serves as a guide or pilot plate to hold the cam plate 1' in position while it is undergoing angular adjustment prior to being bolted to the circular plate 4. Roller 26, which travels within cam groove 3, is secured to one extremity of a lever member 27 which is fulcrumed at 10. The other extremity of lever 27 engages rocker arm 12 through linkage 11, this rocker arm in turn being fulcrumed at shaft 13 which is supported by blocks 28. A pair of actuating arms 14 are also attached to the shaft 13, one for each side of the press. Arms 14 have elongated slots 16 in the extremities thereof, which are farthest removed from shaft 13. Associated with slot 16 of each arm is a locking pin 15. Each pin 15 is of such a diameter that it can move freely within its associated slot 16. Pins 15 are also secured by suitable means to the ends of push rods 17. The other ends of push rods 17 are provided with threaded portions 18. A pusher plate 19 is attached to these threaded portions 18, so as to bridge the space between each push rod 17. If desired, suitable bridging and reinforcing rods or bars 17' and 18' may also be used to fasten the two push rods 17 and arms 14 together. Plate 19 is adjustably held in position on the threaded portions 18 of rods 17 by means of nuts 20 and accordingly the pusher plate may be adjusted on the push rods and moved to various positions along the rods 17 depending upon the sizes of the bricks being molded in the press. Each push rod 17 is guided along its respective path by means of flanged rollers 20' and trolley rollers 21. The trolley rollers are attached to the ends of push rods 17 by means of pins 22 and they are adapted to engage tracks 23, formed from suitable channel members permanently mounted in a horizontal position on opposite sides of the pusher or ejector assembly in such a way that the trolley rollers will roll within said channels as the pusher reciprocates. Channel bar 19 may be used to secure the exposed ends of tracks 23 together. The flanged rollers 20' are vertically disposed above and below the push rods 17 adjacent the die plate 24 of the press in such a manner that said rollers are engaged by the push rods as they reciprocate.

The configuration of cam groove 3 is shown in Figure 1. This cam groove has a constant radius with respect to the center of the crankshaft for 220 of rotation of the crankshaft or through are A, this radius being such that roller 26 is maintained at its minimum radial distance from the center of the crankshaft 2 during a 220 rotation of the crankshaft, thereby maintaining the pusher assembly'which includes push rods 17 and pusher plate 19, at rest during 220 of the crankshaft rotation. For the next of rotation of the crankshaft or through arc B, the radius of the cam groove increases in such a way that the roller 26 is forced radially away from the axis of the crankshaft at such a rate that the pusher assembly is caused first to accelerate and then to decelerate at simple harmonic rates when pushing the brick from the die plate 24 onto the threshold 25 of the brick press. This is accomplished in the following manner: As the crankshaft 2 rotates through this 95 angle, the roller 26 is moved downward thereby causing the other extremity of lever 27 not connected to roller 26 to move upward, pushing up on rocker arm 12 through linkage 11. The rocker arm being fulcrumed at shaft 13 thereby causes arms 14 and push rods 1'7 to move the pusher plate 19 horizontally across the die plate 24 at a gradually accelerating and then decelerating rate. For the remaining 45 of rotation of the crankshaft or through are C, the cam groove radius decreases until the minimum is reached. The curvature of the cam track 3 is such during this 45 rotation of the crankshaft that the roller is caused to move inward toward the crankshaft at such a rate that the pusher plate is retracted at simple harmonic rates during which the action of the lever 27, linkage 11 and arms 12 and 14 are the reverse of that described for the outward motion, thereby bringing the pusher plate 19 back to its initial position of rest. The cycle is then repeated, when the next brick is to be ejected, starting with the pusher remaining at rest for another 220 of rotation.

It will be seen from the preceding description that the instant invention involves the removal of a brick, or similar molded article, from a press by engaging the molded brick at rest on the die plate 24 of the press with a moving surface, which successively accelerates and then decelerates at simple harmonic rates such that the moving surface approaches the brick slowly, and upon contact therewith advances the brick slowly at first with a gradual acceleration which increases to a maximum and then a deceleration until the said surface comes to a gradual stop at the end of its forward motion, after which the moving surface reverses its motion and rapidly returns to its original position, leaving the brick at rest on the threshold of the press.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an ejection device for ejecting a pliable molded article from a press, the combination of a pusher plate, a rotatable shaft, an adjustable, positive locking cam member attached to the shaft, including a plate rigidly mounted on the shaft, said plate having a series of indexing holes circumferentially located at equal radii from the center of the plate and adjacent the outer periphery thereof and spaced substantially 5 apart, a plurality of fastening means removably securing said cam member to said plate in adjustable locking relation with respect thereto, one of said fastening means comprising a bolt means engageable with a selected one of said series of indexing holes, said cam member being provided with an endless groove in the side wall thereof, a roller located within and movable along said groove during rotation of said shaft and said cam member, and linkage means connecting said roller to said pusher plate, said endless cam groove having a configuration such that rotation of said cam means will cause said pusher plate to successively accelerate and decelerate in a predetermined relation whereby the pliable, molded article will be moved out of the press slowly at first, then rapidly, and slowly again until forward motion of the pusher plate and the molded article ceases, and finally, said pusher plate will be rapidly returned to its position of rest.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said linkage means includes a fulcrumed lever member, one

extremity of which is attached to the roller, a bell crank connected to the other extremity of said lever member, a shaft upon which said bell crank is fulcrumed, the other extremity of said bell crank being interconnected to said pusher plate through the medium of telescopically adjustable and extensible arms whereby the distance about which the molded article is moved out of the press may be varied.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,284 Carnell Apr. 20, 1886 420,861 Carnell Feb. 4, 1890 436,237 Hayden Sept. 9, 1890 1,139,971 Heckert May 18, 1915 1,231,267 Kilby June 26, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,194 France July 29, 1930 

1. IN AN EJECTION DEVICE FOR EJECTING A PLIABLE MOLDED ARTICLE FROM A PRESS, THE COMBINATION OF A PUSHER PLATE, A ROTATABLE SHAFT, AN ADJUSTABLE, POSITIVE LOCKING CAM MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE SHAFT, INCLUDING A PLATE RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT, SAID PLATE HAVING A SERIES OF INDEXING HOLES CIRCUMFERENTIALLY LOCATED AT EQUAL RADII FROM THE CENTER OF THE PLATE AND ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERY THEREOF AND SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY 5* APART, A PLURALITY OF FASTENING MEANS REMOVABLY SECURING SAID CAM MEMBER TO SAID PLATE IN ADJUSTABLE LOCKING RELATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, ONE OF SAID FASTENING MEANS COMPRISING A BOLT MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH A SELECTED ONE OF SAID SERIES OF INDEXING HOLES, SAID CAM MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ENDLESS GROOVE IN THE SIDE WALL THEREOF, A ROLLER LOCATED WITHIN AND MOVABLE ALONG SAID GROOVE DURING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID CAM MEMBER, AND LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTING SAID ROLLER TO SAID PUSHER PLATE, SAID ENDLESS CAM GROOVE HAVING A CONFIGURATION SUCH THAT ROTATION OF SAID CAM MEANS WILL CAUSE SAID PUSHER PLATE TO SUCCESSIVELY ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE IN A PREDETERMINED REALATION WHEREBY THE PLIABLE, MOLDED ARTICLE WILL BE MOVED OUT OF THE PRESS SLOWLY AT FIRST, THEN RAPIDLY, AND SLOWLY AGAIN UNTIL FORWARD MOTION OF THE PUSHER PLATE AND THE MOLDED RETURNED TO ITS POSITION OF REST. 